Types Of Beer
While the general consensus is that there are two types of beer (Ale and Lager beer) with a variety of styles or sub-types, there are actually 4 beer types. All beer begins with the same essential ingredients which are water, grain, and yeast. Hops is also an important ingredient, both as a preservative and flavoring agent, in 99% of all modern beer.
Ale
Ale is one of the oldest types of beer. Brewed at temperatures between 15-24°C (60-75°F) using water, malt, Saccharomyces cerevisiae or similar strains of top fermenting yeast and hops. Common ale beer styles include Brown Ale, Pale Ale, Mild Ale, Stout and Wheat beer. For more, read Ale Beer.
Lager
Lager beer was developed, or rather perfected, in Bavaria by Gabriel Seydlmayr. The word lager come from the German “lagern” which means “to store” and originally described the process of storing beer in caverns to keep it cool and prevent it from spoiling prematurely. Lager beer incorporate water, malt and hops but use bottom fermenting yeast and are typically brewed at much cooler temperatures than ales (7–12 °C or 45–54 °F). Common lager beer styles include Pilsner, American, Bock, Dunkell, Shwarzbier, Helles, Oktoberfestbier. For more, read Lager Beer.
Mixed or Specialty
Mixed or specialty beer results from using elements from both Ale and Lager brewing. By mixing top fermenting yeast at typical lager brewing temperatures (or vice versa) or typical Ale or Lager measures of malt to hops to additives with different yeasts and/or temperatures, specialty beers are cr
eated. Common specialty beer styles include Altbier, Kolsch, Steam beer, Smoked beer, Fruit beer, Spice or herb beer, Wood aged beer and Champaign styled beer. For more, read Specialty Beer.
Lambic
Lambic beer, also known as spontaneous fermentation beer, is brewed in the Pajottenland region of Belgium using wild yeast strains. Wort, produced from roughly 70% barley malt and 30% unmalted wheat, is left exposed to the open air and airborne wild yeast strains and fermented for extended periods (months or years). Lambics typically use aged, dry hops which imparts their preservative quality without overly affecting taste. For more, read Lambic Beer.